Making (Flower) Power Moves

Shop owner sets deeper roots in Uptown

The owner and self-proclaimed "chief cultivator of flower happiness" at Westerville Florist is reflecting on her journey from a chief marketing officer to mobile floral entrepreneur and now courier of “the happiness factor” as the owner of two Uptown establishments. Candice Martini opened the Giving Room at 16 S. State St. in March and has since welcomed the public to learn and create with florals.

“The Giving Room is an ode to my dad [Gerry], who we lost three years ago. The G in the Giving Room is actually part of his signature. He was a creative graphic artist and entrepreneur. And so, this space was created based on three things that he instilled in us as kids,” said Martini. “The three components are gather, grow and give.”

The space, which is adjoined to Westerville Florist at 14 S. State St., is rentable and can comfortably seat up to 45 people. She also hosts workshops where participants can grow in their knowledge of florals and give through Think Big(GER) Gift Crates, an offering that honors her father in name and spirit.

“He was very philanthropic and there was always a giveback component to whatever he did. His name was Gerry and we used to call him Big Ger. So that's what Think Big(Ger) really means,” Martini said.

Shoppers can purchase pre-arranged crates filled with mostly local gifts or visit the Giving Room during drop-in hours to create their own. A portion of each purchase is donated to a local charitable organization.

Martini took over the flower shop in 2020, with plans for a reopening just as things were shutting down. Even still, she did not let a global pandemic get in the way of her dreams. Westerville Florist weathered the storm by providing pick-up and delivery orders.

“Flowers have always been a passion of mine since I was little, thanks to my grandma and my dad so that became something that was just a hobby passion for me," said Martini. "I used to take off my day job and go and work for a florist in New Albany during the holidays because it was something that I was super passionate about.”

Before her career in florals bloomed, Martini was chief marketing officer at Westerville-based Exceptional Innovation, Inc. When the company was bought, Martini seized the opportunity to change trajectories and pursue a more fulfilling career.

“I thought about what I was really passionate about and said, ‘What do I want to do every day that I love doing?'” said Martini.

That introspection bloomed into Cantini Floral and More, LLC., a freelance and mobile business through which she provided monthly flower subscriptions, taught classes and hosted events in people’s homes.

Martini started to dream of giving her business a brick-and-mortar home. Meanwhile, she developed a working relationship with the former owner of Westerville Florist as they assisted her with sourcing flowers for her business. The shop first opened in 1958.

“I said, ‘Hey, if you're ever thinking about selling, let me know.’ And six months later, he contacted me. And so it was just one of those things where I had the relationship here and I was always in Uptown anyway, just because of proximity and loving this town.”

Martini spent 20 years of her career working in Westerville. She says its always felt like home.

“My model has always been to be part of a community and Westerville has such a strong community focus and a great following of people who love to shop local. That's always been one of the things I've also done; support small businesses and people who are entrepreneurial. So, that's really why I chose Westerville.”

As she settled into Westerville Florist, Martini knew she wanted to infuse the existing elements of her business into the space like sharing her passion for flowers, education and creativity.

“I never set out to be a traditional florist, really. I set out to do things differently and be more educational plus enable people to be creative, which is the reason for the spaces,” she said. “I had this vision of what I wanted it to be and knew that it was something that didn't really exist up here either. People are looking to gather for experiences and can find that here.”

Martini partners with other Uptown establishments and local artisans with joint promotions to encourage visitors to pause their busy lives to gather, learn and enjoy creating in the historic heart of Westerville.

For more information about the Giving Room, visit www.WestervilleFlorist.net.